Manchester mosque 'seriously damaged' in fire

Emergency services were called at around 11.40pm and around 30 firefighters worked to tackle the blaze, which is now being treated as suspicious.

Plumes of smoke could be seen across the city after Manchester Nasfat Islamic Centre caught alight at around 11.40pm yesterday. "We try to be good neighbours and we try to be involved with our local community", said mosque spokesperson Shamusideen Oladimeji.

Monsurat Adebanjo-Aremu, secretary of the centre, told Manchester Evening News that Sunday's fire was the third such major fire incident in a year.

Flames appeared to come out of the roof and lit up the sky and surrounding buildings. We sent five pumps to the scene and an investigation is now underway'.

Greater Manchester Police has not yet confirmed whether the fire is part of a hate crime, but has said it is treating the incident as suspicious and it is working with Greater Manchester Fire Service on an investigation. Moreover, a minibus - the centre uses to gerry young and elderly visitors to the mosque - was destroyed in an arson attack in 2014.